Refrigerator



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EPRIGERATOR. No. 418,060; Patented Deo. 24, 18819.

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F. E. RANNEY.,

- R-EPRIGERATOR.

No. 413,060. Patented 1390.24, 1889.

UNITED STATES ATENT Orrrcn,

FRED. E. RANNEY, OF BELDING, MICHIGAN, ASSIGN OR TO THE BELDING MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REFRIG ERATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 418,060, dated' December 24, 1889.

Application filed June 5 1888. Serial No. 276,092. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, FRED. E. RANNEY, of Belding, in the county of Ionia and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerators; and I do hereby declare that' the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in shelves or supports for the interior compartments of refrigerators, consisting in the novel details of construction herein illust-rated, described, and more clearly pointed out in the appended claims.

It has been common heretofore to place the ice upon a raised shelf within the ice-compartment, which shelf was raised up from the floor of said compartment by means of legs or supports of wood placed beneath either end of the shelf. These wooden legs have usually been out away asmall portion of their length for the purpose of permittingl drippings from the ice to pass from the bottom or floor of the ice-compartment into a drainage tube or pipe. It has been found, however, that in the use of such wooden legs or supports (which are usually laid flat upon the bottom of ice-compartments almost the entire length of said compartment) the sawdust, dirt, and other accumulations gather beneath the edges of these wooden legs, forni a dam thereby, and thus prevent to a large extent the free outfiow of water through the drainagetube. It has also been found that wooden legs will absorb cold air and become damp and moist; also that, after awhile, the wood becomes quite thoroughly water-soaked, and consequently rots and requires replenishing. It has also been found that the moistened wooden leg absorbs the impurities and bad odors from the contents of the ice-box, which it is impossible to eliminate.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of a refrigerator provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a perspec- 'tive view of the shelf for th'e ice-compartment. Fig. 3V is a central vertical sectional view of the same taken on line 3 3 of Fig. Lt. Fig. 4 is a transverse central' sectlonal view of the same taken on line t et of Fig.

In the drawings, A represents a refrigerator provided `with an ice-compartmentA' and a cold-air compartment A2. In the door CL of the ice-compartment A', and preferably in the center thereof, is a passage-way or cold-air duct a'. On either side of the ice-compartment A' are two return warm-air passages'a2, which permit the warm air to pass from the chamber A2 to or near the top of the ice-compartment A', as shown.

B is a corrugated-metal shelf, provided at either end with a metal stiifening-piece B', preferably of galvanized iron. The stiffening-pieces B' extend beyond the edges b of the shelf B, and are preferably curved, as shown at b. Secured beneath the stitfeningpiece B' are the metal legs C, comprising two fiat portions c, (which rest upon the bottom c' of the ice-compartment A',) vertical portions c', and an intermediate connection or rib c2.

The legs C, the stiffening-strip B', and the corrugated shelf B may be secured together by rivets b2, as shown, or by any convenient means.

D is a curved metal deiiecting-plate, soldered or otherwise secured beneath the shelf B, with its concave side downward, in such position as to be over and above the passageway or opening a' in the bottom a when the shelf B is placed in position in the ice-conipartment A'. The plate D is wider in crosssection than said passage-way a', as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, and extends longitudi- IOO neath said shelf Bl and the deflecting-plate D to and through the passage a. and into the compartment A2. The Warm air rises in the compartment A2 and passes up on either side through the return-air passages a2 and into the compartment A over the top of the ice. Any drippings or Water of condensation which may gather upon the deecting-plate I) will, by reason of the curved shape of said plate, freely iow to its lowermost edges d, and dripping therefrom to the bottom a of the ice-compartment A will pass unobstructed to the drain-tube E. It will thus be readily understood that nothing but pure cold air can pass through the ice-compartment A to the compartment A2. It Will also be observed that, by reason of the thin and relatively-nar# row metal legs C, the air will freely circulate around the same.

I claim as my invention- 1. A refrigerator-shelf consisting of a corrugated metal plate provided at each end with astiffening-bar secured to the under surface of the plate transverse to the corrugations, and provided also at each end With a metal bar bent to form legs or supports for the shelf, substantially as specified.

2. In a refrigerator, a corrugated metal shelf provided with a flat metal stiffeningbar at eachl end running transverse to the corrugations, the ends of said stiffening-bars being bent into curved form and projecting beyond the edge of the metal shelf, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a refrigerator having an aperture in the bottom of the ice-compartment communieating with the provision-compartments below, a corrugated metal ice-supporting shelf located in said ice-compartment and provided with a flat metal stiifening-bar at each end of said shelf, the ends thereof being bent into curved form and projecting beyond the edge of the metal shelf, and a curved metal plate secured beneath said metal shelf above said aperture, with the concave side of said curved plate toward the aperture and the edges of said plate extending beyond the'sides of said aperture, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED. E. RANN'EY.

Witnesses:

M. J, TANNER, E. S. MoUL'roN. v 

